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Steel My Heart: An Appalachian Romance
A second chance with a first love and a home town...
Kelly Long drove away from Anthracite Springs, West Virginia the day of his high school graduation, leaving everything behind – his accent, his group of friends, and his first love. After fifteen years building a career in California, he’s called back to where he swore he would never return. The reason? His beloved uncle’s farmhouse that Kelly swears he’ll never live in. Just as soon as he can flip it, he’s hightailing it back to a real city where things actually happen.
Sam Burns sprinted back home to Anthracite Springs the second she had her college degree, determined to use her big-city education to make her small town better. Sure, the mills are shut down, the coal mines aren’t producing, and most visitors are journalists who write sob stories about poor Appalachians. Sure, she’ll have to work two jobs to do so. But she believes in her town, unlike some people—most notably her high school sweetheart, Kelly, who ditched her and their town the minute he graduated.
Kelly’s quick flip turns out to be more complicated when he finds the residents of Anthracite Springs don’t trust him – he’s an outsider now. Sam should hate him, but she’s never been able to resist an underdog. A deal is struck – in exchange for much-needed advice on a downtown redevelopment plan, Sam will help Kelly’s reputation. Through their work, Kelly reconsiders his prejudice towards the town and Sam reconsiders her grudge towards Kelly. As their lives intertwine further, Kelly finds himself falling in love with more than just Anthracite Springs and Sam finds herself falling in love with the idea of a future that involves Kelly. But Kelly made his feelings on staying in Anthracite Springs clear and Sam’s future has to include her town…
Kelly Long drove away from Anthracite Springs, West Virginia the day of his high school graduation, leaving everything behind – his accent, his group of friends, and his first love. After fifteen years building a career in California, he’s called back to where he swore he would never return. The reason? His beloved uncle’s farmhouse that Kelly swears he’ll never live in. Just as soon as he can flip it, he’s hightailing it back to a real city where things actually happen.
Sam Burns sprinted back home to Anthracite Springs the second she had her college degree, determined to use her big-city education to make her small town better. Sure, the mills are shut down, the coal mines aren’t producing, and most visitors are journalists who write sob stories about poor Appalachians. Sure, she’ll have to work two jobs to do so. But she believes in her town, unlike some people—most notably her high school sweetheart, Kelly, who ditched her and their town the minute he graduated.
Kelly’s quick flip turns out to be more complicated when he finds the residents of Anthracite Springs don’t trust him – he’s an outsider now. Sam should hate him, but she’s never been able to resist an underdog. A deal is struck – in exchange for much-needed advice on a downtown redevelopment plan, Sam will help Kelly’s reputation. Through their work, Kelly reconsiders his prejudice towards the town and Sam reconsiders her grudge towards Kelly. As their lives intertwine further, Kelly finds himself falling in love with more than just Anthracite Springs and Sam finds herself falling in love with the idea of a future that involves Kelly. But Kelly made his feelings on staying in Anthracite Springs clear and Sam’s future has to include her town…
346 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 4, 2024
23 people are currently reading
495 people want to read
About the author
Nellie Wilson
12 books259 followersNellie Wilson is the pen name of a teacher and historian in her 30s who doesn't want her students to read her spicy books. Originally from western Pennsylvania, Nellie spent time in Ohio and Colorado before settling in San Diego. She enjoys drinking beer, talking about true crime and medical history, listening to emo music from the 2000s, and making up songs about her dog. When not writing books, she teaches sixth grade. When not doing that, she studies the history of San Diego city planning. When not doing that, she pours beer. "Need S'more Time" is her first book, but she has many more planned. You can find her on Instagram at @woahnelliewrites.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
September 17, 2024
They say you can never go home again, and you can’t. Unless you do, but only temporarily to sell your late uncle’s house. And then your ex from high school ropes you into helping with tax law stuff because she’s in over her head and no one wants to help you sell the house because they’re mad that you just took a powder the day after graduation so it’s not like you can really leave, anyway. And it’s not that you hated your hometown, you just promised your uncle you would leave and not look back and you took that very literally which is why the ex is still pretty pissed but maybe you can endear yourself to the locals and just finish up your business and go back to — oh shit she has tattoos now ABORT PLAN ABORT PLAN
Also I’ll marry you, Mark.
Also I’ll marry you, Mark.
September 27, 2024
Maybe a bit more like 4.5/5? But either way I really enjoyed this romance. It's second chance which y'all know I have a complicated relationship with, but I really enjoyed it here. It wasn't perfect, but it didn't bother me the way this trope often does. It also is small town, but does not romanticize them. The town is based on where the author grew up so I'll assume it's an accurate representation.
More thoughts to come.
*thanks to Nellie Wilson for the eARC; all thoughts are my own*
More thoughts to come.
*thanks to Nellie Wilson for the eARC; all thoughts are my own*
September 1, 2024
As someone raised on the outskirts of Appalachia, reading this felt like coming back home. Nellie put so much care and detail into her depiction of a small town in West Virginia. Sam's speeches about the town and area make me so happy!!
The romance is amazing as well. I'm a sucker for a good second-chance romance and this one did not disappoint. The main characters had incredible development, and the secondary characters were so full of life. Fingers crossed we'll get another book in Anthracite Springs.
Thank you to the author for the e-copy. All opinions are my own.
The romance is amazing as well. I'm a sucker for a good second-chance romance and this one did not disappoint. The main characters had incredible development, and the secondary characters were so full of life. Fingers crossed we'll get another book in Anthracite Springs.
Thank you to the author for the e-copy. All opinions are my own.
October 8, 2024
This book gets everything right about small towns and first loves, and I just want to go on a little drive to WV right now.
September 15, 2024
One of the things I love about reading Nellie’s books is that I know I’m in for a whole lot of learning and will have a damn good time doing it. More than a handful of books now, and I still feel the same. Really makes me wish I could’ve had her as a teacher. She’s a special storyteller, that Nellie.
Steel My Heart is a second chance with a first love and a home town. It’s such a layered story, and Nellie unfolds each one for us so masterfully. All the heart that went into this book came through the pages, and went straight into mine. I felt for them, and I felt with them.
Such a big fan of Nellie’s writing, her mind, and her stories. If she writes it, I’ll read it, always.
Steel My Heart is a second chance with a first love and a home town. It’s such a layered story, and Nellie unfolds each one for us so masterfully. All the heart that went into this book came through the pages, and went straight into mine. I felt for them, and I felt with them.
Such a big fan of Nellie’s writing, her mind, and her stories. If she writes it, I’ll read it, always.
November 17, 2024
Sam and Kelly were very in love in high school but the day after graduation, he bolted from their small Appalachian town for a bigger, better life in California. Fast forward 15 years and Kelly, now a successful lawyer, returns to their town after the passing of his uncle, who stood en loco parentis for Kelly, to get his uncle’s house ready for sale. He and Sam get reacquainted and are surprised-but-not that their feelings for each other return. But he’s still dogging the town that she has absolutely poured her soul into, and she still doesn’t trust him to stay. This stunning story is both Sam and Kelly’s second chance love story as well as a love letter to Appalachia.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🫑
Liked
* This book was an absolute stunner. The subtext is what sets it apart from other second chance romances - the classism and elitism against small towns, the people who have been overlooked when industry fled their communities, the intense labor of love necessary to redevelop a neighborhood time forgot. Honestly, set against the back drop of the recent election, it really was a helluva read. This book intends to show you that the perceptions of the backwoods hillbillies in these towns are not who you think. Love, acceptance and growth are just as possible here.
* I absolutely loved the flaws that Sam and Kelly brought to each other and how they fought through them. They were both perfectly imperfect and grew in such a lovely way.
* The side characters in this book were just as important in telling the story of the town. They are real stories and real people even though this is a work of fiction.
* On a personal note, while I grew up in the suburbs of a mid-size midwestern city, I have quite a lot of experience in small rural and Appalachian communities. I am intimately familiar with the town our future shithead vice president is from. (I dated a guy that lived in a trailer in the town Hillbilly Elegy is set in. I dated a pig farmer from the next town over. My husband’s children grew up in a deeply evangelical Christian part of rural Kentucky.) This book does a very solid job of painting the stories of those places. Unfortunately in my experience, those towns are not as open minded and progressive as the people of Anthracite Springs. (Special shout out to the author’s unapologetic reference in the acknowledgments to said politician that shed light on the plight of middle America. I believe she refers to him as a “sell-out asshole.”)
* If a love story set to the backdrop of community development, social equity, and a critique of capitalism sounds like your jam, read this book immediately.
Disliked
* There were a lot of editing mistakes in this book. I know that these authors are only human and I typically would not make any notes about this but this book had more than a few. It was like it skipped a few steps in the publishing process. It felt like I was reading a beta at times w the number of grammatical errors.
🫡 Tropes deployed: second chance, small town romance, childhood friends to lovers to enemies to lovers
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🫑
Liked
* This book was an absolute stunner. The subtext is what sets it apart from other second chance romances - the classism and elitism against small towns, the people who have been overlooked when industry fled their communities, the intense labor of love necessary to redevelop a neighborhood time forgot. Honestly, set against the back drop of the recent election, it really was a helluva read. This book intends to show you that the perceptions of the backwoods hillbillies in these towns are not who you think. Love, acceptance and growth are just as possible here.
* I absolutely loved the flaws that Sam and Kelly brought to each other and how they fought through them. They were both perfectly imperfect and grew in such a lovely way.
* The side characters in this book were just as important in telling the story of the town. They are real stories and real people even though this is a work of fiction.
* On a personal note, while I grew up in the suburbs of a mid-size midwestern city, I have quite a lot of experience in small rural and Appalachian communities. I am intimately familiar with the town our future shithead vice president is from. (I dated a guy that lived in a trailer in the town Hillbilly Elegy is set in. I dated a pig farmer from the next town over. My husband’s children grew up in a deeply evangelical Christian part of rural Kentucky.) This book does a very solid job of painting the stories of those places. Unfortunately in my experience, those towns are not as open minded and progressive as the people of Anthracite Springs. (Special shout out to the author’s unapologetic reference in the acknowledgments to said politician that shed light on the plight of middle America. I believe she refers to him as a “sell-out asshole.”)
* If a love story set to the backdrop of community development, social equity, and a critique of capitalism sounds like your jam, read this book immediately.
Disliked
* There were a lot of editing mistakes in this book. I know that these authors are only human and I typically would not make any notes about this but this book had more than a few. It was like it skipped a few steps in the publishing process. It felt like I was reading a beta at times w the number of grammatical errors.
🫡 Tropes deployed: second chance, small town romance, childhood friends to lovers to enemies to lovers
April 22, 2025
I have loved every book Nellie Wilson has written and this was no different. I am also such a huge fan of second chance romances, so this was automatically going to be my favorite. AND IT WAS. It was everything I was hoping it would be and so much more. And at its heart it was a love letter to small town Appalachia, to a girl who LOVES her hometown, and it really showcased Nellie’s love of history!! I loved Sam and Kelly’s story, but seeing how much love Nellie put into every other part of this story made my heart sing!
There is nothing better than high school sweethearts who are apart for over a decade and then find themselves back in the same place they fell in love the first time and just do it all over again!! Sam and Kelly were SO GOOD! I loved that they just…seamlessly fit back together??? There was tension and there was hurt feelings over the way Kelly left! But also…they were just so happy to be back together that nothing else really mattered??? It just was SO GOOD! It felt so special to watch them fall in love again!
And I LOVED Sam and the way her brain works. I love her love of her hometown and all her tattoos and the way she still works at the same diner that she worked in high school. And Kelly!! I loved watching him fall in love with Anthracite Springs and finding a home again, watching him honor his uncle in so many ways!! I love every single thing about their individual journeys as much as I did their combined journey.
I love Nellie’s writing! I love her characters and her little Nellie-verse! Seeing Davis and Jeremy was honestly so perfect. I can’t wait for whatever comes next. And in the meantime I just might have to revisit my OTHER favorites Emmy and Ryan…
There is nothing better than high school sweethearts who are apart for over a decade and then find themselves back in the same place they fell in love the first time and just do it all over again!! Sam and Kelly were SO GOOD! I loved that they just…seamlessly fit back together??? There was tension and there was hurt feelings over the way Kelly left! But also…they were just so happy to be back together that nothing else really mattered??? It just was SO GOOD! It felt so special to watch them fall in love again!
And I LOVED Sam and the way her brain works. I love her love of her hometown and all her tattoos and the way she still works at the same diner that she worked in high school. And Kelly!! I loved watching him fall in love with Anthracite Springs and finding a home again, watching him honor his uncle in so many ways!! I love every single thing about their individual journeys as much as I did their combined journey.
I love Nellie’s writing! I love her characters and her little Nellie-verse! Seeing Davis and Jeremy was honestly so perfect. I can’t wait for whatever comes next. And in the meantime I just might have to revisit my OTHER favorites Emmy and Ryan…
October 5, 2024
While I love every Nellie Wilson romance (I’ve read all but one now), this story is special in so many ways - it’s not just the small town aspect, it’s not just the second chance aspect, nor the coming home and falling back in love with the place that the character though he had to escape… nope.
This is Wilson’s love story to a town and area where she grew up, where she knows so many of us in other parts and places don’t understand, and where her heart resides (even though she is on the other coast now), in Anthracite Springs, Appalachia. This is absolutely one of (if not the very), my top reads of 2024!
It’s also a unique and very special second chance romance about a high school first love that never really faded, and a town that turned their back but because of the situation, learns to accept one of their own back in again.
Kelly and Samantha have a truly special relationship as adults, and after one has received an AuDHD neurodiversity diagnosis … which brings realization about why things were the way they were back in the day, and how she functions now. Kelly is a tax attorney who plans to flip his uncle’s house (the reason he returned), but excuses keep coming up to keep him around… like assisting Sam in the town revitalization plan.
This spicy read is just so special, and incredible - Wilson is a brilliant writer in everything, but this book being so dear to her heart, you can truly feel her love in every page. I 1000% recommend it to everyone! It’s in KU so easily accessible, hits all of the right notes, and no one will be able to find anything to be disappointed about.
I received an advance copy from the author, and this is my honest opinion.
This is Wilson’s love story to a town and area where she grew up, where she knows so many of us in other parts and places don’t understand, and where her heart resides (even though she is on the other coast now), in Anthracite Springs, Appalachia. This is absolutely one of (if not the very), my top reads of 2024!
It’s also a unique and very special second chance romance about a high school first love that never really faded, and a town that turned their back but because of the situation, learns to accept one of their own back in again.
Kelly and Samantha have a truly special relationship as adults, and after one has received an AuDHD neurodiversity diagnosis … which brings realization about why things were the way they were back in the day, and how she functions now. Kelly is a tax attorney who plans to flip his uncle’s house (the reason he returned), but excuses keep coming up to keep him around… like assisting Sam in the town revitalization plan.
This spicy read is just so special, and incredible - Wilson is a brilliant writer in everything, but this book being so dear to her heart, you can truly feel her love in every page. I 1000% recommend it to everyone! It’s in KU so easily accessible, hits all of the right notes, and no one will be able to find anything to be disappointed about.
I received an advance copy from the author, and this is my honest opinion.
September 6, 2024
*Review Provided for receiving an ARC of the story*
So Nellie Wilson I think secretly watches me? Because? So? Much? Of? This? Book? Is? My? LIFE?!
seriously! Growing up in the steel belt of Pennsylvania, I have seen my small town be a cesspit of decay in the 2000s but only recently breath any sign of life (thanks gentrification- and I’m happy to report that is NOT the case in this book)
Kelly and Sam, remind me so much of my life. Was I ashamed of where I came from like Kelly? Yes. Did I hide my lower class accent in college? YES.
But I am also Sam, who is deeply connected to her roots, unashamedly neurodivergent and proud of her wants and needs as a human being woman.
And can there be a shout out for how sex positive this book was in less of a “spicy tiktok” way but more of a “normal people have sex” way?
Idk- I’m rambling because I am so happy.
Read this book, feel seen like I did, and go vote this November!!!
So Nellie Wilson I think secretly watches me? Because? So? Much? Of? This? Book? Is? My? LIFE?!
seriously! Growing up in the steel belt of Pennsylvania, I have seen my small town be a cesspit of decay in the 2000s but only recently breath any sign of life (thanks gentrification- and I’m happy to report that is NOT the case in this book)
Kelly and Sam, remind me so much of my life. Was I ashamed of where I came from like Kelly? Yes. Did I hide my lower class accent in college? YES.
But I am also Sam, who is deeply connected to her roots, unashamedly neurodivergent and proud of her wants and needs as a human being woman.
And can there be a shout out for how sex positive this book was in less of a “spicy tiktok” way but more of a “normal people have sex” way?
Idk- I’m rambling because I am so happy.
Read this book, feel seen like I did, and go vote this November!!!
September 24, 2024
First, I would just like to thank Nellie Wilson for an early e-copy of this book.
I’m a sucker for a good small town, second chance romance, so this one had me hooked from the beginning.
Sam and Kelly dated in high school and right after graduation, Kelly picks up and leaves without a trace, leaving Sam broken hearted and confused. He becomes a becomes a successful tax attorney but winds up having to return to his hometown after his uncle passes away in order to sell his house. While on his flight home, he runs into Sam, who actually never left their hometown and she has so much love for where she came from. As much as Kelly didn’t want to stay in their hometown, Sam makes him fall back in love with it again.
I really loved both of these characters and watching them develop throughout the story. I highly recommend giving this one a read 🩷
I’m a sucker for a good small town, second chance romance, so this one had me hooked from the beginning.
Sam and Kelly dated in high school and right after graduation, Kelly picks up and leaves without a trace, leaving Sam broken hearted and confused. He becomes a becomes a successful tax attorney but winds up having to return to his hometown after his uncle passes away in order to sell his house. While on his flight home, he runs into Sam, who actually never left their hometown and she has so much love for where she came from. As much as Kelly didn’t want to stay in their hometown, Sam makes him fall back in love with it again.
I really loved both of these characters and watching them develop throughout the story. I highly recommend giving this one a read 🩷
September 14, 2024
Thank you to BookFunnel and Nellie Wilson for an advanced copy of this book!!!
This was super cute!!! I was immediately drawn in to this story and was very pleased with how everything ended. I loved the ADHD and autism representation from Sam. I do love a second chance romance so I was FOR IT! Their miscommunication actually was realistic so it didn't bother me so yay for that. Also *blushes* I did enjoy the spice.
Give this sweet little small town romance a read when it releases on October 4, 2024!
This was super cute!!! I was immediately drawn in to this story and was very pleased with how everything ended. I loved the ADHD and autism representation from Sam. I do love a second chance romance so I was FOR IT! Their miscommunication actually was realistic so it didn't bother me so yay for that. Also *blushes* I did enjoy the spice.
Give this sweet little small town romance a read when it releases on October 4, 2024!
October 20, 2024
I didn’t grow up in Appalachia but I did grow up in a rural small town that I wanted to get out of the very first moment I could, so this really did something for me. Do I think I could ever be convinced to love this town and move back like Kelly? No, but he’s got all those friends there which probably helped.
Anyway, I liked pretty much every part of this book until Sam said “he left a voicemail. Which I deleted without listening to” GIRL I WILL PUNCH YOU STRAIGHT IN THE FACE. That whole breakup plot line would’ve never needed to happen if she just LISTENED TO THE MAN SPEAK
Anyway, I liked pretty much every part of this book until Sam said “he left a voicemail. Which I deleted without listening to” GIRL I WILL PUNCH YOU STRAIGHT IN THE FACE. That whole breakup plot line would’ve never needed to happen if she just LISTENED TO THE MAN SPEAK
October 6, 2024
Took me a while to warm up to Kelly but he got there in the end. A cute and well written romance that had me googling loads of times to see if places really existed! Love it when books hit my geography kink ❤️
October 11, 2024
Thank you so much to Nellie Wilson for the gift that is this book. Just a beautiful story of second chance romance and a love letter to Appalachia in a moment where that area needs all the love it can get. Kelly and Sam are so stupid for each other and about each other even though they are both very smart people and that is honestly the best kind of romance. Their history makes this rich and layered and makes you root for them to figure it out this time. And the moments that it got so hot there seemed to be steam coming off of my ereader certainly didn't hurt. Just an incredible read all the way around.
September 3, 2024
So very soft. I do wish Kelly was a bit more jealous at times but Nellie decided her characters were more mature than I am 😂 I also wished that some scenes didn’t jump so quickly like NYE. They were in the bar, they both saw each other and then suddenly within the same paragraph it was a few days later. I craved for more observing of each other. Again, maybe some undeserved jealousy lol. But really I enjoyed this book and I enjoyed getting to know Appalachia. I’m AuADHD and I enjoyed seeing how I’m similar and different from Sam. I loved her character. I thought she was a badass and I’d want to be her friend. I’d be her Becky.
October 13, 2024
Nellie Wilson advertised this book as the book of her heart, a tribute to Appalachia where she comes from. If I say nothing else about this book, I will say that you can tell from the first page that her heart is 100% in every word on every page. I grew up in central North Carolina and spent many an autumn day with my parents driving through the beauty of Appalachia. And now, though I live far away, I’ve found myself working with people in the coal industry for the past decade. My colleagues and their families are the ones described in these pages. This was such a beautiful, and also educational story. Especially during these current times of devastation in the Appalachian region, this book emphasizes the beauty and heart of the people who live in this region of our country. I cherish my memories there, and this book just reinforced my love for this part of the country.
Kelly Long escaped the small town life in Anthracite Springs, WV after high school, leaving the day after graduation and never looking back. I will say I could definitely relate to his level of cynicism. But circumstances having him return to his hometown fifteen years later for a few months sabbatical from his job as a fancy tax lawyer in San Francisco. And of course the first person he runs into is his high school girlfriend, Samantha Burns. While Kelly was destined to move away, Sam’s love and devotion to her hometown and Appalachia brought her back to Anthracite Springs after school.
This was such a beautiful second chance story between Kelly and Sam. What begins as a working partnership turns into so much more. Sometimes we miss a lot of the ‘first chance’ moments with second chance stories, but Nellie does such a wonderful job of weaving in moments of their past through her storytelling, mixed in with historical facts about the region which add additional layers to the story. And did I mention that the FMC brings the neurospiciness that was definitely relatable? The way that Kelly loved and appreciated her particular way of thinking was a breath of fresh air. Everything was just developed so wonderfully, and when things between Kelly and Sam heat up, that fire was hot enough to burn some coal and power the whole city for a long time!
Side note: I never thought that I could view taxes as hot, but I would give anything to have Kelly be my tax daddy. 🤣🥵
Seriously, y’all. This book is like a warm blanket wrapped around you on a cool, fall day. I really hope we get more stories from Nellie set in Appalachia because this one was beyond amazing.
Thank you so much to Nellie Wilson for an advance copy of this beautiful story.
𝚝 𝚛 𝚘 𝚙 𝚎 𝚜:
⛰️ small town romance
💚 second chance
⛰️ high school sweethearts
💚 slow burn
⛰️ neurospicy FMC
💚 tax daddy MMC
Kelly Long escaped the small town life in Anthracite Springs, WV after high school, leaving the day after graduation and never looking back. I will say I could definitely relate to his level of cynicism. But circumstances having him return to his hometown fifteen years later for a few months sabbatical from his job as a fancy tax lawyer in San Francisco. And of course the first person he runs into is his high school girlfriend, Samantha Burns. While Kelly was destined to move away, Sam’s love and devotion to her hometown and Appalachia brought her back to Anthracite Springs after school.
This was such a beautiful second chance story between Kelly and Sam. What begins as a working partnership turns into so much more. Sometimes we miss a lot of the ‘first chance’ moments with second chance stories, but Nellie does such a wonderful job of weaving in moments of their past through her storytelling, mixed in with historical facts about the region which add additional layers to the story. And did I mention that the FMC brings the neurospiciness that was definitely relatable? The way that Kelly loved and appreciated her particular way of thinking was a breath of fresh air. Everything was just developed so wonderfully, and when things between Kelly and Sam heat up, that fire was hot enough to burn some coal and power the whole city for a long time!
Side note: I never thought that I could view taxes as hot, but I would give anything to have Kelly be my tax daddy. 🤣🥵
Seriously, y’all. This book is like a warm blanket wrapped around you on a cool, fall day. I really hope we get more stories from Nellie set in Appalachia because this one was beyond amazing.
Thank you so much to Nellie Wilson for an advance copy of this beautiful story.
𝚝 𝚛 𝚘 𝚙 𝚎 𝚜:
⛰️ small town romance
💚 second chance
⛰️ high school sweethearts
💚 slow burn
⛰️ neurospicy FMC
💚 tax daddy MMC
Read
February 1, 2026i didnt enjoy it sadly 🙁
October 8, 2024
Nellie Wilson deserves a much bigger audience. Period. She’s the one author I turn to for smart, timely, political and personal stories that speak to me. As someone from a small town, who had to kill their accent to be taken seriously, this book really got me.
January 23, 2025
The tagline for this book is an Appalachian romance. I would also consider this a love letter TO the Appalachians.
When nearly every book I’ve read where the Appalachian setting is a character itself it’s centered around addiction, poverty, hopelessness, and a desire to escape. This felt like redemption for all those with love and pride for where they are from.
All of those stories we frequently hear from the area give authenticity to Kelly’s desire to leave immediately after graduation. His desire to shake off his upbringing and everything associated with it- unfortunately, this included his first love, Sam.
But, when Kelly’s beloved uncle passes away, for the first time in 15 years, he has to return to Anthracite Springs and face down everything and everyone he ran from all those years ago.
While Kelly was running from his hometown, Sam ran back as fast as she could post-college graduation. Sam has turned her love for her home into her life’s passion- bringing Anthracite Springs back to life and showing the world what it has to offer.
Through dual POV, we learn not only who they were then (truly one of the sweetest high school love stories) but also who they are still growing to be.
This isn’t only a second chance romance, but it is a second chance for everyone with complicated ties to where they are from. “...I never hated growing up here. I hated what people assumed when I told them I’d grown up here.”
This was a slow-paced, second-chance romance. It was gentle, hopeful, and understandable- in all the very best ways. Honestly, I finished this at the very end of December, and this story clearly settled itself into my heart because rarely does a story stick around for me the way this one has.
When nearly every book I’ve read where the Appalachian setting is a character itself it’s centered around addiction, poverty, hopelessness, and a desire to escape. This felt like redemption for all those with love and pride for where they are from.
All of those stories we frequently hear from the area give authenticity to Kelly’s desire to leave immediately after graduation. His desire to shake off his upbringing and everything associated with it- unfortunately, this included his first love, Sam.
But, when Kelly’s beloved uncle passes away, for the first time in 15 years, he has to return to Anthracite Springs and face down everything and everyone he ran from all those years ago.
While Kelly was running from his hometown, Sam ran back as fast as she could post-college graduation. Sam has turned her love for her home into her life’s passion- bringing Anthracite Springs back to life and showing the world what it has to offer.
Through dual POV, we learn not only who they were then (truly one of the sweetest high school love stories) but also who they are still growing to be.
This isn’t only a second chance romance, but it is a second chance for everyone with complicated ties to where they are from. “...I never hated growing up here. I hated what people assumed when I told them I’d grown up here.”
This was a slow-paced, second-chance romance. It was gentle, hopeful, and understandable- in all the very best ways. Honestly, I finished this at the very end of December, and this story clearly settled itself into my heart because rarely does a story stick around for me the way this one has.
March 16, 2025
4.5⭐️
I really liked it. It was thoughtful, sweet, and felt a little more realistic in some of the clumsy steamy scenes. I liked the authors politics too - liberally sprinkled throughout. It’s also a love letter to places to write off too easily. Sure, the whole revitalization focus does feel a bit forced but i still enjoyed it. What I didn’t care for was the way the break up happened. That felt a bit off. But overall, thought this was well written, interesting, and just an overall lovely read.
I really liked it. It was thoughtful, sweet, and felt a little more realistic in some of the clumsy steamy scenes. I liked the authors politics too - liberally sprinkled throughout. It’s also a love letter to places to write off too easily. Sure, the whole revitalization focus does feel a bit forced but i still enjoyed it. What I didn’t care for was the way the break up happened. That felt a bit off. But overall, thought this was well written, interesting, and just an overall lovely read.
September 12, 2024
Could you imagine waiting your entire life for your perfect firefly mate, and the entire time, you were just circling above them and couldn't see that they were right below you?
Wilson's writing is so masterful at this point, there is a crystal clear sense of setting and character throughout this book. The town of Anthracite Springs is totally central to this book - it's a trap to escape even if that means gnawing off a limb, or it's comforting featherbed familiarity in its total known quality. Sam and Kelly's relationship with the town shapes their present selves. Kelly is reared by an uncle near the poverty line, and this uncle insists he leave with a clean break and make his way in the world. How much does loyalty to this uncle, following his direction to the letter cost him? Certainly his relationship with HS girlfriend Kelly, and most of his friends. But he does as he's told, shedding his accent and taking on characteristics that allow him to succeed in the world. We see throughout the tiny adjustments and realizations Kelly makes that his uncle's diktat of a clean break didn't have to be so absolute, and what Kelly has lost of himself in the process.
This theme of loyalty/disloyalty carries through the book. Sam has remained loyal to the town, to their past (same job, same friends, working to improve the town while keeping it the same). She believes in the future of the town and is very unforgiving of those (like Kelly) who left. She sees his leaving as the ultimate betrayal (and he did dip without a word, so). However. Sam comes from a supportive family, with money by the town standards, and had the luxury of loving how things were. "Maybe optimism is something that you're only allowed to have when you know that everything has already worked out well for you." She works hard now, waitressing and in her role revitalizing the town, but she started at a whole different place than Kelly.
Kelly is home to sell his uncle's house and needs someone to vouch for him, and Sam needs his tax law expertise for some grant applications, so a classic bargain ensues. Naturally these two fall back in love, this time as adults. Our third character (the town) shows the growth Sam doesn't on the loyalty/disloyalty matter, while she keeps expecting Kelly to put a foot wrong or insult the town, he slowly rebuilds trust with the residents, and rebuilds the friendships he felt he had to sever. And it's funny, when things change and her loyalty to Kelly evaporates, the town stays constant. The same embrace and belonging of the community Sam kept lauding to Kelly she wants to weaponize into shunning, and it doesn't happen that way.
Sam really put me through it in the last 30% of this book. The focus and blinders from her autism/adhd that made her so effective in her work (and such a font/deluge of info, whew!) keeps her from really growing or seeing growth in others. She assumes the worst of Kelly, even while falling in love. And ironically (given that the clean break was so hurtful in HS) her refusal to communicate and receive communication is the cornerstone of the extended third act breakup here. Her mind is made up, and she can't see another point of view. Do I feel like cooler heads in their circle of friends would have stepped in earlier with a "Listen, take another look" sooner? Sure. Was I completely happy with the resolution, given my tent firmly planted on #teamkelly territory? Errr, there could have been more said. But their time apart lead to emotional/character growth (him) and same old behavior turned to 11 (her) and they got there in the end.
Ultimately, this is a love letter to the region and the people that make the communities therein. I come from a hometown of 3500 in Ohio, and Wilson exactly caught the vibe of people who stayed, the pride and comfort they have along with decades of gossip, as well as the lure of returning to the easy familiarity of hiking the same trails your parents hiked 60 years earlier, or remembering how the middle-aged person at the cafe in front of you behaved in 6th grade english class. I'm going home for a visit next month, and I'll be looking at my hometown with new eyes, thanks to this book.
October 5, 2024
📚 Review: Steel My Heart by @woahnelliewrites
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️
THIS BOOK. It’s a small town romance, slow burn second chance romance, yes. But I have never ever felt more seen in something I’ve read. I highlighted passages that resonated - I never do that!!!! I stopped and considered a lot from my own life path and history. I put down my reading to call my dad and fact check about the types of coal and steel and mining history in my own hometown. I love when a book also instigates my curiosity.
So, Kelly and Sam are high school sweethearts, in a small town in West Virginia It’s a town that had its heyday many years ago, based in the mining and steel industries. Kelly leaves after high school for university in California. That was always his plan, and honestly how he was raised - you’ve got to leave to be successful. He’s now a tax lawyer, and he returns to his hometown after his uncle dies.
Sam also leaves for university, but returns when she graduates. She resumes working as a waitress in the town diner - no way to put her degrees to use in a dying town. She loves her hometown, and makes it her mission to revitalize it.
Kelly and Sam have some bumps finding their way back to each other. Kelly didn’t leave town in the best way, and he has to navigate the hurt and resentment others feel. Sam has a hard time putting the past behind her. It’s a bit of a slow burn, but the author puts the time and attention needed to be realistic in how Kelly and Sam become friends again. And when the second first kiss happens - my belly flipped. So good.
Kelly realizes that his attitude towards his roots framed how he behaved in university and his adult life. Sam recognizes how her focus and passion aren’t always a positive thing.
And through it all, there’s a sense of community. A group of friends since they were kids. A bit of everyone knowing everyone’s business. Demonstrating how small communities are much more than the stereotypes, if people take the time to stop, observe, and consider.
In the end, this book is a story of hope. Paraphrasing from the book -Anthracite Springs is a great place not only to raise your kids, but to stay.
I feel very honored to have been chosen for an advanced reader copy of this book. Now - everyone I grew up with - please read this story!!!
My highlights, sentiments that resonated with me:
I scrubbed my accent and learned to pretend I knew how to order Chinese food that wasn’t from a buffet that also served pizza and jello.
“Kelly, you’re meant for better things than this town. It’s a damn good place to grow up, but you can’t stay here.”
“Olives are the devil’s vegetable,”
“They didn’t find shit they wanted, but bituminous coal is the most plentiful coal. You may say it’s the most common, but it’s the one that everyone wanted and everyone used to heat their homes. Our coal was so plentiful that they built a steel mill here, and our town grew.”
From what I read online and from conversations with my college friends who have scattered across the globe and the country, I know that it’s weird that my best friends are still the same group of people I’ve known since I was seven years old, but I think it’s special.
One of the worst habits I developed after living with undiagnosed ADHD for a few decades was the ability to finish a project at the very last minute. It’s like my brain needs a countdown timer to quiet down, that added bit of pressure forcing me to focus.
That’s what I felt like I was a part of, this dramatic death of a town, of a region, but also the potential for a rebirth. Some deep metaphor about coal-fired plants and blast furnaces in steel mills as a cherry on top.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️
THIS BOOK. It’s a small town romance, slow burn second chance romance, yes. But I have never ever felt more seen in something I’ve read. I highlighted passages that resonated - I never do that!!!! I stopped and considered a lot from my own life path and history. I put down my reading to call my dad and fact check about the types of coal and steel and mining history in my own hometown. I love when a book also instigates my curiosity.
So, Kelly and Sam are high school sweethearts, in a small town in West Virginia It’s a town that had its heyday many years ago, based in the mining and steel industries. Kelly leaves after high school for university in California. That was always his plan, and honestly how he was raised - you’ve got to leave to be successful. He’s now a tax lawyer, and he returns to his hometown after his uncle dies.
Sam also leaves for university, but returns when she graduates. She resumes working as a waitress in the town diner - no way to put her degrees to use in a dying town. She loves her hometown, and makes it her mission to revitalize it.
Kelly and Sam have some bumps finding their way back to each other. Kelly didn’t leave town in the best way, and he has to navigate the hurt and resentment others feel. Sam has a hard time putting the past behind her. It’s a bit of a slow burn, but the author puts the time and attention needed to be realistic in how Kelly and Sam become friends again. And when the second first kiss happens - my belly flipped. So good.
Kelly realizes that his attitude towards his roots framed how he behaved in university and his adult life. Sam recognizes how her focus and passion aren’t always a positive thing.
And through it all, there’s a sense of community. A group of friends since they were kids. A bit of everyone knowing everyone’s business. Demonstrating how small communities are much more than the stereotypes, if people take the time to stop, observe, and consider.
In the end, this book is a story of hope. Paraphrasing from the book -Anthracite Springs is a great place not only to raise your kids, but to stay.
I feel very honored to have been chosen for an advanced reader copy of this book. Now - everyone I grew up with - please read this story!!!
My highlights, sentiments that resonated with me:
I scrubbed my accent and learned to pretend I knew how to order Chinese food that wasn’t from a buffet that also served pizza and jello.
“Kelly, you’re meant for better things than this town. It’s a damn good place to grow up, but you can’t stay here.”
“Olives are the devil’s vegetable,”
“They didn’t find shit they wanted, but bituminous coal is the most plentiful coal. You may say it’s the most common, but it’s the one that everyone wanted and everyone used to heat their homes. Our coal was so plentiful that they built a steel mill here, and our town grew.”
From what I read online and from conversations with my college friends who have scattered across the globe and the country, I know that it’s weird that my best friends are still the same group of people I’ve known since I was seven years old, but I think it’s special.
One of the worst habits I developed after living with undiagnosed ADHD for a few decades was the ability to finish a project at the very last minute. It’s like my brain needs a countdown timer to quiet down, that added bit of pressure forcing me to focus.
That’s what I felt like I was a part of, this dramatic death of a town, of a region, but also the potential for a rebirth. Some deep metaphor about coal-fired plants and blast furnaces in steel mills as a cherry on top.
May 23, 2025
I am shocked at the amount of 5 star ratings for this story.
He is a lawyer living in California that left his small town in WVA immediately after graduation. She is the girl that stayed behind and loved that little town when no one else did.
Kelly wanted more than just small town life and followed a path to get away. Now his only remaining family has left him a house he needs to sell. His plan is to fix it up and sell it then return to life. What he didn't plan on was seeing his first love again.
Sam loves her hometown in West Virginia. She returned home after college with an ADHD diagnosis and a desire to make this town into something. She has found contentment over the years but missed her heart she gave away as a teen.
Kelly is not excited to return to home and the lack of a warm welcome is not a surprise. But running into Sam has him full of conflicting emotions. Leaving her was the hardest thing he ever did, all these years later what is he going to do about it in the few weeks he is in town?
Sam finds herself drawn to Kelly despite knowing he will break her heart when he leaves. But she can't stop the pull between them.
Dual POV, second chance romance, explicit love scenes.
I would like to first admit my review is biased bc I am triggered. I left a small Appalachian town and never looked back. So I am Kelly in this story. Haha. Reading him falling in love with his hokey hometown is charming when you can't relate to it. The reason for my low rating though is because this book desperately needs an editor. Typos and long distracting content almost had me quitting this book. It's just not that interesting. I'm sure the author was excited to add details of history and layered secondary characters but it was all too much. In fact, I find it ironic that this story with a ADHD main character was written in a way that wouldn't appeal to an ADHD person.
I was once a Beta reader and the author told us to annotate parts of their story when we lost engagement and found myself skipping over content. That is a great way to edit out details that distract rather than build a story. Unless you activate that hyper focus, staying engaged with this story is a challenge. Kelly and Sam were cute and I liked their relationship once they got out of their own way. My second star removal was the 3rd act miscommunication/drama. That was immature and cliche, neither one that matched the character of the MMCs. Their spicy scenes went to a strange place that felt unnecessary and more shocking that building emotional intimacy. Overall, I just didn't enjoy this book. I found myself not even longing for a Happy Ending. I think I would have been okay if Kelly had just gone back to California. Which is probably the worst response I can have to a romance story. There is a HEA and individual Epilogue for each POV.
Also. One more thing: I confess this may be a "me" problem but the MCa names were confusing. I spent more time than I would like to admit telling my brain Kelly is a dude and Sam is a chick. Two gender neutral names is a wild ride.
He is a lawyer living in California that left his small town in WVA immediately after graduation. She is the girl that stayed behind and loved that little town when no one else did.
Kelly wanted more than just small town life and followed a path to get away. Now his only remaining family has left him a house he needs to sell. His plan is to fix it up and sell it then return to life. What he didn't plan on was seeing his first love again.
Sam loves her hometown in West Virginia. She returned home after college with an ADHD diagnosis and a desire to make this town into something. She has found contentment over the years but missed her heart she gave away as a teen.
Kelly is not excited to return to home and the lack of a warm welcome is not a surprise. But running into Sam has him full of conflicting emotions. Leaving her was the hardest thing he ever did, all these years later what is he going to do about it in the few weeks he is in town?
Sam finds herself drawn to Kelly despite knowing he will break her heart when he leaves. But she can't stop the pull between them.
Dual POV, second chance romance, explicit love scenes.
I would like to first admit my review is biased bc I am triggered. I left a small Appalachian town and never looked back. So I am Kelly in this story. Haha. Reading him falling in love with his hokey hometown is charming when you can't relate to it. The reason for my low rating though is because this book desperately needs an editor. Typos and long distracting content almost had me quitting this book. It's just not that interesting. I'm sure the author was excited to add details of history and layered secondary characters but it was all too much. In fact, I find it ironic that this story with a ADHD main character was written in a way that wouldn't appeal to an ADHD person.
I was once a Beta reader and the author told us to annotate parts of their story when we lost engagement and found myself skipping over content. That is a great way to edit out details that distract rather than build a story. Unless you activate that hyper focus, staying engaged with this story is a challenge. Kelly and Sam were cute and I liked their relationship once they got out of their own way. My second star removal was the 3rd act miscommunication/drama. That was immature and cliche, neither one that matched the character of the MMCs. Their spicy scenes went to a strange place that felt unnecessary and more shocking that building emotional intimacy. Overall, I just didn't enjoy this book. I found myself not even longing for a Happy Ending. I think I would have been okay if Kelly had just gone back to California. Which is probably the worst response I can have to a romance story. There is a HEA and individual Epilogue for each POV.
Also. One more thing: I confess this may be a "me" problem but the MCa names were confusing. I spent more time than I would like to admit telling my brain Kelly is a dude and Sam is a chick. Two gender neutral names is a wild ride.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2024
If you only read one line of this review, let it be this: THIS BOOK IS A TREASURE.
I was so lucky that Nellie sent me bits of scenes as she wrote and just knew the final product together was going to be so beautiful. Somehow it ended up being even more perfect than I could have imagined.
There have been very few FMCs with which I relate so completely, and Sam Burns is one of them. Her AuDHD symptoms so directly mirror mine - from the focus leading to forgetting to eat and drink, to the Wikipedia-esque knowledge of hyperfixations, even the motivating ability of doing a project at the last minute. Her emotional reaction to Sam leaving (even though he came back) felt like exactly how I’d react. When you trust someone and they hurt you, if you trust them again, getting hurt a second time (even if it’s not in the way they intended) makes you feel so much worse. Even logic can’t pull you from that feeling of loss.
And Kelly - my sweet little clueless angel. Nellie flawlessly created a character who has made mistakes, and continues to make mistakes, but is still so lovable that all you want to do is cheer for him with his successes and shake him by the shoulders when he’s being oblivious. The man has screwed up in some of his life decisions, but the amount of growth he experiences over the course of 300something pages is beautiful.
And the third main character- Anthracite Springs itself. Nellie did such a clutch job creating a fictional small town that I would move there in a heartbeat - even with all its imperfections. I grew up in a smallish town, and there were so many moments that made me nostalgic and wistful for a place where everyone knows your business.
I can’t wait to recommend this to everyone, especially anyone who grew up in a small town and wants to make their mark on something.
POV: dual first
You can expect: small town, second chance, high school sweethearts, returning home, opposites attract, forced proximity, only one cabin, only one bed.
Rep: ADHD, autism, peanut allergy, Down Syndrome (side character)
Spice: 3/5
CW: death of a parental figure/guardian
I was so lucky that Nellie sent me bits of scenes as she wrote and just knew the final product together was going to be so beautiful. Somehow it ended up being even more perfect than I could have imagined.
There have been very few FMCs with which I relate so completely, and Sam Burns is one of them. Her AuDHD symptoms so directly mirror mine - from the focus leading to forgetting to eat and drink, to the Wikipedia-esque knowledge of hyperfixations, even the motivating ability of doing a project at the last minute. Her emotional reaction to Sam leaving (even though he came back) felt like exactly how I’d react. When you trust someone and they hurt you, if you trust them again, getting hurt a second time (even if it’s not in the way they intended) makes you feel so much worse. Even logic can’t pull you from that feeling of loss.
And Kelly - my sweet little clueless angel. Nellie flawlessly created a character who has made mistakes, and continues to make mistakes, but is still so lovable that all you want to do is cheer for him with his successes and shake him by the shoulders when he’s being oblivious. The man has screwed up in some of his life decisions, but the amount of growth he experiences over the course of 300something pages is beautiful.
And the third main character- Anthracite Springs itself. Nellie did such a clutch job creating a fictional small town that I would move there in a heartbeat - even with all its imperfections. I grew up in a smallish town, and there were so many moments that made me nostalgic and wistful for a place where everyone knows your business.
I can’t wait to recommend this to everyone, especially anyone who grew up in a small town and wants to make their mark on something.
POV: dual first
You can expect: small town, second chance, high school sweethearts, returning home, opposites attract, forced proximity, only one cabin, only one bed.
Rep: ADHD, autism, peanut allergy, Down Syndrome (side character)
Spice: 3/5
CW: death of a parental figure/guardian
October 4, 2024
“For no reason, my brain latched on Anthracite Springs the way it latched on every detail of Greek Mythology, some kind of quirk of synapsis that wired my brain a bit differently.”
I loved Sam and Kelly’s story. I have to admit, give me a neurodivergent MC and I’m sold. That being said, I wish I could have Sam’s executive functions and social interaction’s ease… Even with hyperfocus I feel so far behind… (yes, I am COMPLETELY jealous of a fictional character, and would love to meet her).
I loved the angle the author decided to take. Yes, it feels like a “return home” story, pretty classical, but it is also different. The choice to introduce the association was super smart. It helps us to know Sam, but it is a great red thread that helps Kelly to see his hometown differently, but also allows us to discover the place. All the historical and local references made me travel, and think about my own roots, even though located on the opposite side of the Atlantic.I truly believe that this story, even if very attached to a territory, can speak to many people. How Kelly evolves, how Sam is antagonizing at the first occasion felt very human.
The romance (second chance) is also very well told, with all the doubts it implies, all the stories that happened already, making the characters fear it might occur again. This story is full of (self)questioning, but manages to avoid unuseful pining, finding a great balance between old memories, rediscovery and acceptance (of the past, the present, and the hope of a future). All of this made the characters so well crafted. In the same line, Sam’s attitude at the end of the story is SO SO neurodiverse… I LOVED that.
I truly spent a great time with this novel, between the characters, the second chance (both for a person and a place), or even with the interrogation of what being local is.
4.5/5
Thank you Nellie Wilson for trusting me with this ARC. My opinions are my own.
I loved Sam and Kelly’s story. I have to admit, give me a neurodivergent MC and I’m sold. That being said, I wish I could have Sam’s executive functions and social interaction’s ease… Even with hyperfocus I feel so far behind… (yes, I am COMPLETELY jealous of a fictional character, and would love to meet her).
I loved the angle the author decided to take. Yes, it feels like a “return home” story, pretty classical, but it is also different. The choice to introduce the association was super smart. It helps us to know Sam, but it is a great red thread that helps Kelly to see his hometown differently, but also allows us to discover the place. All the historical and local references made me travel, and think about my own roots, even though located on the opposite side of the Atlantic.I truly believe that this story, even if very attached to a territory, can speak to many people. How Kelly evolves, how Sam is antagonizing at the first occasion felt very human.
The romance (second chance) is also very well told, with all the doubts it implies, all the stories that happened already, making the characters fear it might occur again. This story is full of (self)questioning, but manages to avoid unuseful pining, finding a great balance between old memories, rediscovery and acceptance (of the past, the present, and the hope of a future). All of this made the characters so well crafted. In the same line, Sam’s attitude at the end of the story is SO SO neurodiverse… I LOVED that.
I truly spent a great time with this novel, between the characters, the second chance (both for a person and a place), or even with the interrogation of what being local is.
4.5/5
Thank you Nellie Wilson for trusting me with this ARC. My opinions are my own.
September 22, 2024
Rating: 4.75/5
Thank you Nellie for an ARC of this book!
Kelly has long left his small town behind. But when he's forced back home, he's faced with questions about whether leaving had truly been the right choice. I loved watching Kelly interrogate his beliefs about his town, trying to parse through what he thought were opinions of his own and how he truly felt about Anthracite Springs. And seeing him rediscover his home and find his own truths felt overwhelmingly powerful bc it was him reclaiming his narrative. And I loved sitting with Kelly in those moments bc those reflections felt like they existed beyond the book and asked us to reconsider our own biases.
Sam. A woman on a mission to prove to Kelly (and us) that run-down small towns deserve a chance. I adored Sam's love for her town and her sometimes seemingly lofty goals that, with her enthusiasm, we knew she would achieve. And you could just feel that excitement radiate from her as she taught us about the history of Anthracite Springs so it never felt like a chore and suddenly we felt that much more connected to the cause. Like hell yeah, we're gonna revitalize it and give it the attention it deserves!!! And no town would be complete without its community and here, it just felt so full in all the best ways. I loved that Sam was so connected to everyone bc it embedded us deeper into the town so we rooted for them that much harder.
And the way these two fell into their love again? 👏👏👏 Bc we didn't just get history, we got *their* history. And we didn't just watch them reenvision the town's future, we watched them reimagine *their* future. And I loved every second of it.
CN: open-door romance, classism, refs to addiction, death of a family member (off page), consumption of alcohol, mentions of underage drinking, refs to poverty
Thank you Nellie for an ARC of this book!
Kelly has long left his small town behind. But when he's forced back home, he's faced with questions about whether leaving had truly been the right choice. I loved watching Kelly interrogate his beliefs about his town, trying to parse through what he thought were opinions of his own and how he truly felt about Anthracite Springs. And seeing him rediscover his home and find his own truths felt overwhelmingly powerful bc it was him reclaiming his narrative. And I loved sitting with Kelly in those moments bc those reflections felt like they existed beyond the book and asked us to reconsider our own biases.
Sam. A woman on a mission to prove to Kelly (and us) that run-down small towns deserve a chance. I adored Sam's love for her town and her sometimes seemingly lofty goals that, with her enthusiasm, we knew she would achieve. And you could just feel that excitement radiate from her as she taught us about the history of Anthracite Springs so it never felt like a chore and suddenly we felt that much more connected to the cause. Like hell yeah, we're gonna revitalize it and give it the attention it deserves!!! And no town would be complete without its community and here, it just felt so full in all the best ways. I loved that Sam was so connected to everyone bc it embedded us deeper into the town so we rooted for them that much harder.
And the way these two fell into their love again? 👏👏👏 Bc we didn't just get history, we got *their* history. And we didn't just watch them reenvision the town's future, we watched them reimagine *their* future. And I loved every second of it.
CN: open-door romance, classism, refs to addiction, death of a family member (off page), consumption of alcohol, mentions of underage drinking, refs to poverty
October 6, 2024
I absolutely adored this small-town and these characters. Nellie has this unique ability to create a book where I am able to relate to the characters while simultaneously wanting to switch career paths to whatever the characters in her books are. However, with this book in particular I felt the most connected to these characters because I am from a small-town that has a run down main street with boarded up windows and somewhere where I thought it’d be better to get out and move west than stay and appreciate the town for what it is. Like Kelly, I moved West and am working toward becoming a Lawyer. I got out of my hometown and haven’t looked back. I felt very nostalgic and very grateful for the feelings and the love this book brought out about a small-town and how much it can mean to the people who live there. Kelly & Sam’s story is also one of my new favorite second chance romances, because of the overwhelming amount of gratitude and appreciation the characters have for one another and the way their emotion bursts off the page and into the hearts of
readers. I felt every emotion, I felt apart of this small-town and was rooting for them like I was apart of the little group they had in Anthracite Springs. The beautiful way they were able to fall in love twice and even though their first love wasn’t shown; you could feel the love from Nellie’s writing and the characters felt like real people that I would see if I traveled back to my hometown. Overall this book gave me all the warm fuzzy feelings, opened my eyes in a lot of ways, and gave me a brand new story to reread to love over and over again. I cannot wait to be back in Anthracite Springs soon!
Thank you to the author for the advanced copy of this book!
readers. I felt every emotion, I felt apart of this small-town and was rooting for them like I was apart of the little group they had in Anthracite Springs. The beautiful way they were able to fall in love twice and even though their first love wasn’t shown; you could feel the love from Nellie’s writing and the characters felt like real people that I would see if I traveled back to my hometown. Overall this book gave me all the warm fuzzy feelings, opened my eyes in a lot of ways, and gave me a brand new story to reread to love over and over again. I cannot wait to be back in Anthracite Springs soon!
Thank you to the author for the advanced copy of this book!
September 13, 2024
If Nellie Wilson writes it, I will read it.
Steel My Heart is a window into West Virginia and Appalachia, but it's also a tale of finding where you fit - something that universal, I think.
Sam and Kelly are a second chance romance that I can get behind. They've grown without each other, experienced life and are now ready to come together and continue this journey. It did seem that Kelly's arc was the more obvious one, but I found Sam's acceptance that she was too quick to judge and make assumptions really refreshing. She's a lot of things, but Sam's no put upon damsel.
I found Sam to be the real star of this book. Her description of neurodiversity, specifically feeling/being "too much" resonated with me so much. Same cares, has big feelings and wants to help. She's organised because she has coping mechanisms out the wazoo, and I've never felt more seen in a book.
The story is gentle and takes place over a number of months, something I really enjoyed. It was fun following the changing seasons with the characters in Anthracite Springs (especially those being teed up for future books. Give me them all!)
There is angst here, but it's relatable and all the more poignant for it. My only bugbear with the book was how Kelly fell a little flat sometimes. His pig-headedness got in the way of rounding out his character and sometimes was a shade too repetitive. This is still a fab read though, and it's a must read for anyone who has done all the "right things" but is still struggling to true meaning in what you're doing. Who knows, maybe you're one dilapidated farmhouse away from finding your passion.
This is an honest review in exchange of an ARC copy.
Steel My Heart is a window into West Virginia and Appalachia, but it's also a tale of finding where you fit - something that universal, I think.
Sam and Kelly are a second chance romance that I can get behind. They've grown without each other, experienced life and are now ready to come together and continue this journey. It did seem that Kelly's arc was the more obvious one, but I found Sam's acceptance that she was too quick to judge and make assumptions really refreshing. She's a lot of things, but Sam's no put upon damsel.
I found Sam to be the real star of this book. Her description of neurodiversity, specifically feeling/being "too much" resonated with me so much. Same cares, has big feelings and wants to help. She's organised because she has coping mechanisms out the wazoo, and I've never felt more seen in a book.
The story is gentle and takes place over a number of months, something I really enjoyed. It was fun following the changing seasons with the characters in Anthracite Springs (especially those being teed up for future books. Give me them all!)
There is angst here, but it's relatable and all the more poignant for it. My only bugbear with the book was how Kelly fell a little flat sometimes. His pig-headedness got in the way of rounding out his character and sometimes was a shade too repetitive. This is still a fab read though, and it's a must read for anyone who has done all the "right things" but is still struggling to true meaning in what you're doing. Who knows, maybe you're one dilapidated farmhouse away from finding your passion.
This is an honest review in exchange of an ARC copy.
October 14, 2024
Small town + MCs in their 30s + second chance!
Kelly left home the second he graduated, leaving everything behind including his first love. Returning home after fifteen years, he's forced to reckon with the small town he hated.
Sam returned home the second she graduated college, determined to make her small town the best it could be.
Read if you love...
🫶🏼dual perspective
✨second chance
👏🏼ADHD info dumping
✨small town
🔥open door
✨MCs in their 30s
The thing I loved most about this book is how relatable the characters are.
As someone who got tf out of a weird disconnected small town as soon as I could, Kelly was so relatable in this. I hated everything about the small town I grew up in & all I wanted was out as soon as possible and to never look back.
Sam's ADHD & info dumping about the things she loves were so so so so relatable. I loved the random things she had knowledge about, the hyperfocus modes, and just so many things with ADHD I can relate to (forgetting to eat / drink water, lack of spatial awareness, etc).
I loved the second chance + small town aspect. How Sam helped Kelly see the town for how wonderful it is, and how Kelly helped Sam she is just perfectly her.
📍West Virginia
✨Representation: ADHD; autism
‼️Content: classism; references to addiction and poverty; death of a family member, off page
Kelly left home the second he graduated, leaving everything behind including his first love. Returning home after fifteen years, he's forced to reckon with the small town he hated.
Sam returned home the second she graduated college, determined to make her small town the best it could be.
Read if you love...
🫶🏼dual perspective
✨second chance
👏🏼ADHD info dumping
✨small town
🔥open door
✨MCs in their 30s
The thing I loved most about this book is how relatable the characters are.
As someone who got tf out of a weird disconnected small town as soon as I could, Kelly was so relatable in this. I hated everything about the small town I grew up in & all I wanted was out as soon as possible and to never look back.
Sam's ADHD & info dumping about the things she loves were so so so so relatable. I loved the random things she had knowledge about, the hyperfocus modes, and just so many things with ADHD I can relate to (forgetting to eat / drink water, lack of spatial awareness, etc).
I loved the second chance + small town aspect. How Sam helped Kelly see the town for how wonderful it is, and how Kelly helped Sam she is just perfectly her.
📍West Virginia
✨Representation: ADHD; autism
‼️Content: classism; references to addiction and poverty; death of a family member, off page
February 14, 2025
There are some things I liked about this book, and there are some things I did not like about this book.
Firstly, the things I liked. I liked Nellie Wilson’s writing. I enjoyed the setting of Appalachia, and thought it was beautifully stirring in its description of its landscape, culture, and people. I also really loved Kelly.
This is where the things I didn’t like come into place. I don’t really like the FMC, Sam. Is Kelly wrong to leave the way he did after his hs graduation? Maybe? Probably. However, I loved his character growth in this book. I just don’t think he needed Sam to get there. The other thing I didn’t enjoy about this book (and it happens in other “spicier” books too) is that when the two main characters finally get it on, it seems like that’s all the end up doing for the rest of the book. I was honestly enjoying how Kelly and Sam were reconnecting, but once they fall back together, it almost seems like they fell back to where they were in hs. Things do, of course, resolve themselves in the end, but I found it to be frustrating and maybe even unrealistic as to how things resolved themselves.
So, it’s probably more of a “me” thing as to why I didn’t like it as much as some others did, but definitely didn’t hate it. 3/5 is still a good book in my mind, just this one wasn’t for me.
Firstly, the things I liked. I liked Nellie Wilson’s writing. I enjoyed the setting of Appalachia, and thought it was beautifully stirring in its description of its landscape, culture, and people. I also really loved Kelly.
This is where the things I didn’t like come into place. I don’t really like the FMC, Sam. Is Kelly wrong to leave the way he did after his hs graduation? Maybe? Probably. However, I loved his character growth in this book. I just don’t think he needed Sam to get there. The other thing I didn’t enjoy about this book (and it happens in other “spicier” books too) is that when the two main characters finally get it on, it seems like that’s all the end up doing for the rest of the book. I was honestly enjoying how Kelly and Sam were reconnecting, but once they fall back together, it almost seems like they fell back to where they were in hs. Things do, of course, resolve themselves in the end, but I found it to be frustrating and maybe even unrealistic as to how things resolved themselves.
So, it’s probably more of a “me” thing as to why I didn’t like it as much as some others did, but definitely didn’t hate it. 3/5 is still a good book in my mind, just this one wasn’t for me.
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